Forensic report on woman who died in Pakistan 'shows she was murdered'

A forensic examination of the body of a British woman whose husband believes was the victim of a so-called honour killing shows she was suffocated, according to reports in Pakistan.

Samia Shahid, 28, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, died last month while visiting relatives in northern Punjab.

Her family said she died from natural causes but Syed Mukhtar Kazam believes she was killed because of her marriage to him, her second husband.

Ms Shahid's family has strongly denied any involvement in her death.

The News newspaper, in Pakistan, says a forensic report has confirmed that she was murdered.

It said the report "stated clearly that her death had been caused due to suffocation, as she was stopped from breathing".

The reports follow claims last week from Mr Kazam that a 7.5in (19cm) bruise was found on his wife's neck. Mr Kazam said he had seen a copy of a post-mortem report.

He married his wife in Leeds in September 2014 after she left her first husband, who was a cousin from Pakistan.

Mr Kazam said his wife moved to live with him in Dubai last year but had made trips to the UK to talk to her parents about the relationship.

He said she went to Pakistan on July 14 as a member of her family was ill.

Mr Kazam said his wife had been healthy and he did not believe reports of her dying naturally.

Bradford West Labour MP Naz Shah, who has campaigned for the case to be thoroughly investigated in Pakistan, told BBC Look North: "We're actually very pleasantly surprised at the way the Pakistan authorities have responded to this and the urgency that they've placed on this investigation, which is quite impressive.

"The communication, to say we're so far apart, has been pretty good."